And Everyone Lived
by xPeppermint
Summary: Castle suffers an injury while enjoying some off-duty time with Beckett, and she forces him to stop shadowing her. Meanwhile, Rick considers stopping work on his Nikki Heat novels, and some of the other characters start to explore their own love lives.
1. Chapter 1

"Wake up."

She was whispering in his ear, and the words turned into actions before he even had the chance to process them. He would do anything she asked him to. Anything.

"Wake up."

He opened his eyes, blinking sleepily as they came into focus. She wasn't at his ear anymore. Instead, she was right in front of him, sitting on the edge of his bed. God, she was beautiful. A vision, though she looked no differant today than she did any other day. Blue jeans, a scarf, the long red jacket that she always wore. He loved seeing her in that.

"You look like shit."

He frowned, though this reaction had nothing to do with her words and everything to do with the figure that just appeared in the doorway. For a second, he thought his vision was failing him, that he was seeing double. But upon closer inspection, he realized that the woman at the door and the woman who was sitting beside him were indeed two separate people. They could have been sisters, twins, though they were not quite identical. His new visitor came further into the room, taking a seat on his right. She directed her attention to her double. "Be nice. He's been through quite a lot." She smiled kindly as she reached for his hand, taking it in her own. "You only look a little horrible."

He narrowed his eyes in confusion, taking a few moments to look between them, examining their facial features quite closely. "Beckett?"

The woman to his left, the one who had been there this whole time, frowned. She crossed her arms and got up from the bed, distancing herself from him. He didn't know what he did or what he said, but he immediately regretted it, for he already missed the heat that her body gave off.

"Really, Ricky? You can't tell the differance? You don't know who's who after all this time?"

"I don't-"

"It's Nikki." The sharpness of her voice was like a knife, and he could instantly feel it cutting into his heart.

He once again examined the two women, failing to understand what was happening here. They were both familiar, both beautiful, and he could feel love for them both. But, as he had already determined, they were not the same. "Beckett," he said again, this time directing it toward the woman on his right. She nodded at him with a kind smile.

"What's going on?" He pointed at the woman who called herself Nikki, as if accusing her. "She's not real."

There was hurt in Nikki's eyes as she turned to her counterpart, ignoring Castle's presence for the moment. "Why would he say something like that?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "What does he mean, I'm not real?"

"She's based on you, Beckett. I created her. She can't be real." His heart pounding in his chest, Rick yelled, though the two ladies acted as though they couldn't hear. It was as if they were in their own little world, and Richard Castle didn't exist.

"He's just a little disoriented." Kate ran her fingers through his hair as if he were a sick little boy and she was coddling him, making him feel better. It would have worked, if he were actually believing this. "You need to show him."

Nikki grinned with those words, and she returned to her spot on the bed. She placed her hands softly on Rick's chest, leaning in close so that her lips were just inches from his. Again, she whispered. "How could something that isn't real do this?" When her lips touched his, his eyes instantly closed. This... this was Heaven. He'd kissed many girls in his life, from high school girlfriends like Jessica Simms to Kyra Blaine, to both of his ex-wives. But none of those ever matched up to this. It felt right. Every single part of his body, every inch of his skin, was screaming, crying out for more. He reached out, allowing his hands to roam Nikki's form.

Until a pair of hands very rudely shoved her away.

"Stop hogging him, Heat." Kate shot her a glare, grabbed a handful of her shirt, and pushed her off of Rick. It was _her _turn. She climbed on top of him, kissing him deeply, all the while letting her hands do some naughty touching of her own.

"If you want him, why don't you ever say so? You never made yourself available, so now he's all mine."

More shoving. More kissing. More touching.

Oh God, yes.

"I'm making myself available now, aren't I?"

"Yeah, so? I was here first."

"Not for long."

In a flurry of motion that happened almost too fast for Rick's eyes, Kate got a hold of Nikki's hair and managed to push her over the edge of the bed and onto the ground. Nikki responded by knocking Kate's feet from under her, also making her tumble to the hard floor.

"Girls, please!" Rick watched the scene with wide eyes, half loving the beginnings of what was sure to be the best cat fight he'd ever seen, half afraid that one of his girls would be hurt. He attempted to pick himself up from the bed, but it was to no avail. The moment his shoulders lifted up from the comfort of his pillows, a wave of pain shot through his body, forcing him back down. "There's-"

One of the girls received a good slap to the face.

"Enough-"

A punch to the stomach.

"Rick Castle-"

Some rolling around.

"To go around..."

After several minutes of this amazing, terrifying, wonderful, fight, Nikki Heat finally got the upper hand. She was on top of Kate, holding her arms, pinning her to the ground. She took a moment to catch her breath, then she leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You put up a good fight, Katie."

"As do you."

The room went silent. Rick was still staring at them with wide eyes, wondering exactly what was going to happen next. In just a few minutes, he had been violated by a fictional character and the girl of his dreams, and he had been the reason for a brawl between the two. Whatever transpired in the next few minutes could not surprise him in any way, shape, or form. Or so he thought.

In a flash, Nikki was back on her feet, pulling Beckett up with her. She wrapped her arms around the latter's waist, reaching her arm up to entangle her fingers in her short, brown hair. For a second, Castle was sure that this was some sort of trick, or that Kate had had enough of whatever little game the two were playing. However, she didn't even attempt to pull away or stop her. Instead, she cupped her counterpart's chin, lifting it so that the two made eyes. Then, she kissed her.

Nikki smiled, letting this go on for a little while before pulling away. "You must make so many people jealous."

Kate laughed, turning them around and pushing Nikki down onto the end of the bed. She was on top of her in a second, pushing a piece of her hair away from her eyes. "Sure." Another deep, passionate kiss. "But all because of you."

Rick couldn't take it anymore. "Hey, did you forget about me?" He crossed his arms, putting on the most adorable, heartbreaking pout that he could muster.

Nikki laughed. "Poor Ricky. We did forget about him, didn't we?"

Kate got off of Nikki, went over to Castle, and leaned down so that her lips were right by his ear.

"Wake up."

Nikki smiled, waving at him as she and the room faded into black.

"Wake up."

Castle's eyes fluttered open.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Wow, guys! Thanks for the reviews! I'm glad you liked the first chapter. As I said, I'll be switching between characters/couples every chapter, so if you want to find out what happens when Castle wakes up, you're going to have to keep reading. I hope you like this one!**

**Also, I'm going to try and update on a regular basis, but I can't promise the new chapters will always come out this quickly. I got excited about this one, so I just had to get this one up.**

There had always been something creepy about hospitals. She didn't know why, especially since she made her living by examining dead bodies, but the stark white halls and strong smell of cleaning fluid always sent a chill down her spine. Maybe it had something to do with the people who were basically just laying around and waiting to die, or perhaps it was the sight of a friend, twisting in his sleep, obviously in pain, and the knowledge that she couldn't do anything about it.

But despite Richard Castle's moaning and groaning, and the fact that it was seven o'clock in the morning and she hadn't gotten any sleep, Lanie Parish smiled. Right inside the room, curled up on one of the horribly uncomfortable plastic chairs, was Kate Beckett, sleeping away.

"She's been here all night."

The medical examiner turned at the sound of a voice behind her, and she gave a little wave as Javier Esposito joined her at the door of the room. He was already dressed for a day at a work, and he was clutching what was sure to be the first of many cups of coffee he'd have that day. Ah, coffee. It was great stuff, but it still couldn't hide the yawn that threatened to escape his lips.

"That doesn't surprise me." She shrugged, causing the detective to give her a questioning glance. Lanie laughed under her breath, knowing exactly what he was thinking. "Kate Beckett may not want to admit that something's going on, but something's going on. She cares. Especially since this happened on her watch."

"Right." Esposito's eyes left hers for a minute, and he stared down at the ground. He wasn't a stranger to violence. He'd seen people shot. Hell, he'd had people shoot at him, but it had never happened when he was off duty. Just a few hours ago, Castle and Beckett had closed a case and decided to grab some dinner. As they were walking to a little burger joint on the corner, a very pissed off friend of so-and-so, whom they'd found guilty and put away, decided he'd take his rage out on Castle. A while later, he was in the hospital with a gunshot wound to his shoulder. He couldn't imagine how that would feel. "What about Martha and Alexis? Have they been here?"

Lanie nodded. "For a little while, but they went home when it started to get late. The doctors are saying he won't wake up for a while, so they decided they'd come back on Alexis' lunch hour."

The concern was evident in Esposito's eyes when she uttered the words "he won't wake up," and it brought a smile to Lanie's face. The detective was a caring man. That was obvious. And the small amount of panic that he displayed with her words was really kind of sweet, cute even. "Relax. Anyone would need their sleep after something like that. Besides, they've got him on pain meds. The right ones can really knock you out."

"I see. So when do you think he'll wake up?"

"In a couple of hours."

Esposito nodded, then fell silent. It wasn't one of those awkward silences that everyone hates, but it also wasn't comfortable. And it had nothing to do with Lanie. He liked Lanie. He didn't know much about her, and he didn't see her much outside of work, but he'd always felt a sort of bond with her. They were a part of the same team, of the same family. He respected and cared about her as much as he did Ryan, Beckett, Castle, and Montgomery.

"Can I get you anything? The coffee sucks here, and so does the cafeteria food, but it's still something..."

Obviously, the silence didn't last long. He couldn't exactly pinpoint why he felt the need to talk, but he knew it had something to do with the fact that they were standing outside of the hospital room of one of their best friends. Weren't people supposed to talk in situations like these?

Lanie smiled for the hundreth time that morning. "No, but thank you. I've already had my coffee."

"Okay. Well, if you do want anything, let me know."

"Thank you, detective. That's very nice of you." Another minute of silence. "What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you and Ryan be paling around together, or something?"

"We're taking turns being here. Ryan will be over in a little while." He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow. "What about you?"

"Making sure my girl's okay."

"Kate? I don't think you have to worry about her."

She shrugged. Kate was strong, but it was only natural that she'd be a little rattled by this. She cared about Castle. As she told Esposito before, there was something going on, even if she wouldn't admit it. Lanie just wanted to make sure that she was okay. And that she didn't do anything stupid.

"So, how long have you been here?" Esposito knew to drop the subject. The shrug she gave spoke volumes. "It's a girl thing. You wouldn't get it." And chances are, he probably wouldn't. Might as well change the subject.

"A few hours. I just wanted to make sure neither of them were alone."

"What about you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Castle's been here for a while now. We've all become attatched to him. Especially Kate. And you, well, you care about her so much. I was just thinking, maybe you shouldn't have to put so much energy into looking after her."

"You act like this is my whole life. Kate's my girl, but I have other friends and other things to do."

"Like what?"

Lanie turned to him, giving him a look of almost disbelief. "Like... examining bodies, helping you solve murders, going out for drinks after work, hanging out with friends."

"Like tonight?"

"Yes."

There were a few more moments of silence before the loud, sharp ringing of a cell phone cut through the quiet like a knife. Lanie picked up, saying a few "no's" "yes's," and "I'll be there's" at the apropriate moments. When the call was over, they both knew that there was a new case to solve. With a sigh, she nodded to Esposito, who gave her a glum look back. The psychopaths of New York never did like to take the day off.

"Well, I'll see you." With a little wave, the medical examiner was off. But, before she went, she grinned to herself, turning around one last time. "I'm free on Saturday."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Gosh, I'm so thankful for all the reviews and love sent my way. I never thought this story would be that successful. I hope you enjoy chapter three, and please, keep the reviews coming. I love knowing what you think. **

**Also, I'd like to take the time to formally thank my best friend in the whole world, Nikki, for providing me with a lot of my ideas. Especially when she doesn't know she's doing it. ;D**

"Um, Alexis?"

Alexis Castle's head whipped up as soon as she heard her name, her eyes fixing upon those of the boy who had spoken. She had been absently playing with the hem of her skirt, deep in thought about her father. When he started shadowing Beckett, she knew that there were risks involved. She knew that there was the possibility of something like this happening. She had just never thought it would actually happen, and no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't get the image of him laying in the hospital bed out of her mind. When she first saw him, she didn't even recognize him. Her dad was always happy, smiling, cracking jokes. He certainly wasn't the man who she'd seen last night.

"Hi, there, Owen. I'm sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind."

He gave her a sad smile and gestured toward the seat beside her, silently asking her if he could join. She nodded in return, and he plopped down in the comfy chair, still wearing a kind, sympathetic expression. "I know. I heard about your dad."

Alexis gave a short, quiet laugh. "Yeah, everyone has. I've gotten a million well-wishes this morning, and Mrs. Anderson even offered to come by and take care of him."

"Now that would be something." Owen shivered theatrically, managing to get a smile out of the girl. Thank God. "I know this is going to sound like just another one of those pathetic wishes, but I really am sorry and I hope everything, you know, turns out all right."

"It's okay. I know it's different coming from you. You're not one of those people who think they need to cozy up to me and pretend to care just because I'm Rick Castle's daughter. You don't want the attention or bragging rights, or whatever you'd call it."

Owen risked putting an arm around her shoulder, though he was almost certain she'd just shrug it off. They'd had some bad times, the "serendipity at Serendipity" incident, for example. But even if they weren't together, even if she still didn't care for him, he did care for her, and he genuinely wanted her to feel better. "So, how's he doing?"

"Okay." Alexis looked down at the ground for a moment, considering things. Whether he knew it or not, this conversation was really something she needed. It was nice to just talk to a friend, and his arm on her shoulder was a plus too. It made her feel safe, somehow. It was warm, gentle, almost reasurring. She'd heard the ever famous "it'll all be okay" line about a million times already, but this said it in a whole new way. It really did make her feel better. "Grams and I went to see him last night, but he was still asleep. The doctor said he wouldn't wake up for a few hours, so we're going back to the hospital at lunch."

"That's good then." Owen didn't mean to sound uninterested, but he really didn't know what to say. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before, and he couldn't imagine what Alexis was going through. He thought about his own parents. They were everything to him, and if something ever happened to them... he didn't even want to think about it. "Are they making you come back? After you've gone to visit him?"

"I don't know." Alexis tilted her head upward, and she made her 'thinking face,' which he'd always thought was incredibly adorable. "Mr. Preston took pity on me and let me hang out here in the nurse's office during his class, and no one has said anything about going back. I tried getting up to go once, but I was told to just stay here." she shrugged. "It's kind of nice, just getting the time to myself to think, but I really don't think going to class would kill me."

He laughed. "I think you're lucky. You get a free pass all day. I've got a biology exam today, and I would do anything to get out of it. Wanna trade places?" He gave her a playful nudge.

"Actually, I'd love to trade places if I could. I'm kind of dreading having to go see my dad."

"Really? Why?"

"Well... This has never happened before. He's never been hurt badly enough or been sick enough to have to go to the hospital. I don't really want to see him in pain or just lying in bed with nothing to do."

"I can understand that. But maybe you should just look on the bright side. We both know he won't be in there for long."

"How do you figure that?"

"I may have only met him once, but even I know that he's not the kind of guy to sit around and do nothing. He's going to do everything in his power to get better as quickly as he can, so he can start following Detective Beckett again."

Alexis laughing, nodding. "You're right. Dad would never miss a chance to solve a case. He'd go into the precinct in the middle of a blizzard if he had to."

"So there you go. No need to be upset." Taking another risk, Owen reached over to give her a big hug, and she gladly placed her arms around him. Once again, she was getting that safe, warm feeling. She couldn't put into word how nice it felt.

"Owen, can I ask you something?"

"Sure." He smiled, pulling away after a few minutes. "You can ask me anything."

"How did you get down here?"

"Oh, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I've been feigning illnesses to get out of tests since the third grade."

Alexis laughed, giving him a nudge. "Well, I'm really glad you did. I needed this."

"Anytime."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I guess you can tell by now that the story has a new title. I'm sorry for the confusion, but I was talking it over with a friend and I decided it was time for a more fitting title. I hope I didn't confuse anyone. **

**On a side note, I've been loving the reviews that you guys are giving me. Please, keep them coming. I love you all! 3**

Kate Beckett stirred, opening her eyes after a few moments of squirming and trying to find a comfortable position on the chair. Sunlight was streaming through the window of the room, and she blinked a few times, trying to adjust her eyes to the light. She was surprised that she had actually slept through the night, due to the horribly uncomfortable hospital chair, the fact that she had gotten so used to strange hours from her work at the precinct, and also because of how bothered she was by what had just occurred the previous night. Although she didn't show it, Castle's "accident," if it could really be called that, really rattled her. She was used to violence. She was used to being shot at, to criminals, thugs, and murderers trying to get to her. But to have someone come after her when she wasn't officially on a case, when she wasn't in detective mode, that was new.

And then, there was Castle. She couldn't possibly describe what seeing him hurt did to her. After all this time, she'd really grown to like him. She cared for him, maybe even more than she should. And to see him hurt was absolutely terrifying. For the first time, she saw him when he wasn't smiling or trying to get on her nerves. For the first time, the realization that something horrible could happen to him hit her. And it hit her full on in the chest, completely knocking the wind out of her.

"Good morning, Detective."

She jumped at the sound of Castle's voice, not having realized that he was already awake, watching her. She shut her eyes for a moment, letting herself get over the shock of him pulling her out of her thoughts. "Good morning, Castle." She said, coming over to sit beside him. "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible," He replied, smiling over at her. There was an air of finality in his voice, as if his words really meant "don't worry about me. I'm fine." He was never the kind of man to let people see him upset. He was in pain, yes, but he also didn't want everyone fussing over him. In a hospital bed or not, he was still Rick Castle. He still had high spirits. "Did you really spend the night here?"

She ignored his question, instead going over to his bedside table, retrieving a small bottle and pulling out two pills. She set them on the tray before him. "Pain meds. The doctor said you could have them when you wake up, if you need them."

Rick frowned at her lack of a response to his question, but still leaned forward to grab the two pills that she'd set before him. However, he immediately fell back against the pillows, hissing at the pain that shot down the length of his arm.

Kate flinched, grabbing his wrist when he once again tried to make a grab for the meds. She gently pushed him back down, and got the two capsules herself. "Open up." She told him, placing them both in his mouth as he did what he was told. "And if you try making some sick joke out of this, I will hit you, no matter how much it hurts."

"Oohhh, so forceful." Rick replied, grinning once he downed the two pills without any water. She was really a lot nicer in the dream he'd just had. Then, his face got a little more serious. "I really appreciate you staying with me, Kate." And he did. He couldn't imagine what a day would be like without her, now that they'd been working together for almost a year. He wouldn't want her to stay away just because he got hurt.

"Considering what happened last, I had to." Kate replied, returning to her seat beside the bed.

"No, you didn't. I can understand if you'd want to stay away from me until I come back to the precinct."

She nodded, looking away from him. There were a few moments of uncomfortable silence, making the both of them feel a little on edge. There was something strange about the way this felt, like something huge was about to happen, and they both knew it.

Rick couldn't take it anymore. He had to ask. "What is it?"

"You're not coming back to the precinct, Castle."

His eyes narrowed in confusion as he looked at her. "What do you mean? I'll be right back to chasing bad guys just as soon as I'm healed up."

Kate sighed. "No, you won't. Castle, you were shot while we were out together, off duty. It'll be that much more dangerous when we _are _out chasing bad guys. There's too much risk involved. This time it was your shoulder, but next time, it could be worse."

"Kate," Rick sat up, turning toward her, despite the pain in his arm and shoulder. "I signed the papers. I know the risks. I understand that something could happen to me. But asking me to leave would be asking me to leave not only the precinct, but the whole team. I feel like a part of the family. You can't take that away from me."

"I'm not asking you to leave to the family. I'm just saying that you can't shadow me anymore."

"Kate…" Rick allowed his voice to trail off, knowing that if he continued to speak, the words would come out pathetically mangled. There was hurt in his eyes as he stared at her, and she stood, turning, unable to meet his gaze.

"You can still find inspiration for Nikki Heat. We've been through enough together."

"This isn't about Nikki Heat, Kate. This is about you asking me to leave something that I love. It's asking me to leave my friends. My family. It's asking me to leave you."

"I'm not asking you, Castle." She turned back around, her expression hard. She wasn't Kate Beckett anymore. This was the detective, just daring him to mess with her. "I'm telling you." Just then, the sharp ring of her cell phone cut the silence of the room. She picked up almost immediately, nodding and saying a few words as her new case was being described to her. Then, she looked at Rick, breathing a heavy sigh. "I'll see you around." Pocketing her cell phone, Kate left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I'd like to apologize to you all for the delay of chapter five. This week has been pretty busy, but I promise that I'm going to be a bit quicker with putting the chapters up. Also, thank you all for the great reviews. Keep them coming! **

Javier Esposito exited an elevator in a middle class apartment building and walked along the ugly, blue carpeted halls. He had yet to step into the crime scene that he was supposed to be visiting, but there was already something different about the air in this place. The obvious answer to what that thing was would be the lack of Castle, making the mood grim and black. Well, he _was_ off to see a dead body. However, he also knew that this couldn't be the only answer, for there was also a sort of electricity in the air. He found himself very anxious as he stepped through a door, where he was greeted by caution tape and three familiar faces all standing over a fresh corpse. It must be Tuesday. "What have we got?"

"Thirty-two year old male with multiple stab wounds and a single gunshot to the head." Lanie Parish rattled off the findings as she usually did, looking up at the team as she spoke. Her eyes met Esposito first, and she had to struggle quite a bit to keep the corners of her mouth from turning upwards into a smile. "And a suicide note." she gestured to a penned letter on the coffee table in front of the couch where the victim was sitting, "Definitely bogus, but definitely a good start." There were far too many wounds on the victim's body for this to be a suicide. That was obvious.

Esposito watched as Beckett gave a nod, asking if there was anything else that should be noted about the body. As several bruises, scratches, and cuts all over the victim's arms and legs were revealed, he couldn't help but think that the detective was a bit more stiff than she was usually. Before Castle started working with them, she had been all work and no play. The appearence of the mystery writer had lightened her up some. All of a sudden, she was a little more free, and everyone in the precinct was glad for the change. But now it was if she had reverted back to her old ways, acting so "strictly business" that she wouldn't even crack a smile. It made him wonder if there was something more going on here.

"I'll call and let you know if I find anything else back at the lab." the medical examiner's voice pulled him out of his thoughts, and he watched as the other members of the team filed out of the room. Ryan gave him a little wave and tilt of the head, asking him if he was coming, and Esposito gestured back that he'd be there soon. After his conversation with Lanie earlier that day, he couldn't help but stick around a little bit longer to see her.

"Do you know what happened?" Her very loud, very abrupt question nearly made the detective jump.

"No. I was thinking you would. You mean you don't know?"

"No," Lanie replied, shaking her head sadly. "Kate hasn't told me anything. All I know is that she was one person before she went to the hospital, and she was someone completely different when she came back."

"I never expected this. I expected her to be upset, but I thought even she could handle it."

"I thought the same thing, and there's nothing to do unless she opens up."

"Which isn't likely."

Lanie sighed in frustration and muttered something unintelligible under her breath. She didn't know what was going on, but she didn't want to deal with it right now. There was no use besides. Why talk about something you know you can't fix? Plus, she was in too good of company to waste her time with a conversation that wouldn't go anywhere. She grinned at that thought, giving Esposito a sideways glance. "We're on for the weekend, right?"

"About that..." He saw her frown at his words, and the detective immediately put his hands up in defense. "I didn't mean it like that! We're still on! I was just wondering what we should do."

"Isn't that your job? To come up with the destination?"

"Er..."

"I'm kidding. How about just dinner? We could go out for drinks after, nothing fancy."

He nodded in reply. Nothing fancy was just perfect for him. Esposito wasn't an unlucky in love sort of guy, but he also wasn't a genius when it came to dating. And Lanie... Lanie was different. He already cared about her immensely, and when he sat down and thought about it, he could very easily see himself with her. This was not something that he wanted to screw up, and the best way to not screw it up would be to take it slow.

"I like the sound of that." He smiled. "I've got to get back to the precinct, unfortunately. but do you need anything before I go?"

"Well..." Lanie considered his offer, taking a look around the room. She'd been there since very early in the morning, so the place was pretty much cleaned up by now. The only thing that needed to be done was to transport the body back to the lab. "I could use some company. the ride back can get pretty boring. And I have a feeling this guy isn't going to do a lot of talking."

Esposito shook his head, laughing some. "I couldn't imagine why." He made a little gesture with his head, suggesting they should go, and the medical examiner linked her arm with his, heading out to the van that was parked downstairs.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: I've decided to do something a little different with this chapter. Every third chapter, I'm going to alternate between Alexis and Martha. So this chapter is about Martha, then the next will be about Alexis, and so on and so forth. It just seemed unfair to me to leave Martha out. **

**With that being said, I suppose I should also mention that this story will be pretty long. I hope you all will stay with me until the end. I love you all for your support, and please send in a review so I know what everyone thinks.**

As a mother, it was in Martha's job description to be a mender of her son's broken heart, and she'd been doing it for years. She could recall at least a dozen occasions when she had to pull him to his feet because of some girl, but if that said anything about Rick, it was that he loved much and he loved deeply. When his first girlfriend, Melinda Barnardo, left him for the male lead in the school's musical, he wouldn't come out of his room for days. And after they danced together for the final time, she thought that he would die from the loss of Kyra Blaine. However, none of those little heartbreaks compared to this one. It was clear that losing Beckett did something even worse to Richard, and she was beginning to fear that he wouldn't recover from it.

That's why she felt so bad that she was currently cuddled up beside Chet, a glass of wine in hand.

"Where are you?" He had his arm around her and he was gently stroking her hair, trying his best to comfort her and take her away from whatever it was that was on her mind. "You're far away."

"I'm just thinking."

"Is this about Richard?"

Martha looked up at him, frowning a little. "I know I'm being silly." She sighed softly. "He's a big boy and he can take care of himself, and even if things don't work out, he'll eventually be okay. Or he'll find way to convince the world that he's okay."

"But?"

"It just feels wrong to be enjoying myself so much when I know he's suffering."

Chet smiled ever so slightly and adjusted his position so that they were facing each other. He then reached for her, drawing her close so that their lips touched in a short, sweet, innocent kiss. "There's nothing wrong with this. There's no use getting upset over something we can't fix. And... I don't know Richard, but from what you've told me about him, I know he wouldn't want you to be miserable."

Martha nodded, though she remained silent. Everything he was saying made perfect sense, but she still wasn't convinced. Maybe it was just something maternal, something inside telling her to worry when she knew she didn't need to. All mothers seemed to know how to do that. She took a sip of her wine, hoping that the heat from the alcohol spreading throughout her body would make her feel better.

Chet frowned a little more at Martha's lack of a response and he stood, going over to a stereo system that was tucked in the corner of the room. He hit a few buttons and returned to her as Louis Armstrong's deep voice filled the room. He took her hand and pulled her off the couch, into his arms. "Dance with me."

Martha set her glass down and wrapped her arms around Chet, her mood instantly lifted. There was nothing more wonderful, more divine than to be in the arms of someone you love. "Why do you have to be so charming?" She laughed softly, swaying against him in time to the music.

"Why do you have to be so lovely?"

"You know, I've dreamed about having this moment with you. When I was just a silly little schoolgirl."

"I was an idiot back then." Chet shook his head. "You were always the one for me, but I was just too blind to see it. It feels like I wasted so much time."

"No. We have right here and now. It doesn't matter what happened before."

Smiling softly, Chet leaned into her, placing his lips right beside Martha's ear. Then, he sang to her in a sweet, quiet whisper. "Give your heart and soul to me, and life will always be La Vie en Rose."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: As promised, here's another little dose of Rick and Kate. It may not be what you expected, but things are going to get worse before they get better. And things will get better. Anyway, I hope you like it, and please review. ~ Pepper.**

Kate Beckett was standing at the coffee machine, staring into space as she thought about the conversation she'd had with Castle earlier that day. She didn't care what anyone said or thought about it; she was convinced that she did the right thing. As much as he wanted to think so, Rick wasn't a cop. He didn't carry a gun, and he couldn't fend off another vengeful friend of a criminal or any psychopath who decided to come after him. That had already been proven. Plus the fact that she was _with him_ when it happened didn't make her feel any better. This was just the way things had to be.

"Damn it!" Due to her not paying attention as she stood there, the coffee spilled over onto her fingers, which she immediately brought to her mouth to ease the sting. She could hear Ryan and Esposito asking her if she was all right, and she just nodded, muttering a flat "I'm fine." And she was fine. At least, she thought she was. While he was there, Castle had managed to find a crack in the walls that she'd built around herself. And now that was gone, now that he wouldn't be around to distract her, she could close herself off again, so that no one and nothing could ever hurt her this badly again. Grabbing her coffee, Kate returned to the murder board and stared up at it, unblinking.

"Lanie found something new on the body. Possible signs of poisoning. She said she's unsure of what that may be, but the test results will be in tomorrow."

"That's great, Esposito. Thanks." She tried to give him an appreciative smile, but this plan failed miserably. Her fellow detective caught it and took a step closer to her, risking placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Beckett, are you all right?"

She immediately shrugged him off. "I'm fine."

"Look, I know this is bad, but…"

"I'm fine." This time she actually turned, glaring at Esposito. If looks could kill, he would dead on the floor. "Let's just focus on the case. I'm going to try and ID the vic."

As she left, the detective turned to his partner, who shrugged. "Don't worry, bro. It'll all go back to normal when Castle's out of the hospital."

"Castle isn't coming back."

And with that, Kate left.

* * *

"Am I dreaming again? Is Kate going to come in here and start going at it with you?"

Rick was sitting in his hospital room, which was now filled from wall to wall with cards, gifts, and other little trinkets from his adoring fans. Just looking around the place, he could count about a hundred cards, one knitted blanket that currently rested on his bed, about a dozen boxes of candy, and a ridiculous amount of flower bouquets and bunches of balloons. It was all very sweet and kind of amusing, but it still couldn't get rid of the horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

A scantily clad Nikki Heat laughed, crossing one of her legs over the other as she sat in the same chair that Kate had been sitting in earlier that day. "You would dream up something like that, wouldn't you? But no, you're very much awake."

"Then how…?"

"You're hallucinating"

"Oh. Right. That makes sense." He sighed and started reaching for the button to call the nurse.

In a flash of movement that was too quick for the human eye to catch, Nikki was right beside him, a hand on his wrist. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?" He replaced his hand, giving her a confused look.

"Because you'll miss me after I'm gone. And I have some advice for you."

"So, I should make myself even sicker just so I can have someone to talk to? Why am I hallucinating anyway?"

She shrugged. "A bad reaction to some drugs, the mental stress of knowing that you may never see Beckett again. How should I know?"

"What do you mean, 'never see Beckett again'? I'll see her. It may not be at the precinct, but I'll see her. I need to talk to her about her cases if I'm going to keep writing."

Another laugh. "You're kidding, right? What are you going to do? Wait by the phone and _hope _she calls you on one of the very rare occasions when she has nothing to do? That's not very inspiring, now is it?"

"Well, I…"

"And besides, aren't I just a reminder of everything that you're going to lose? Are you sure you want to keep writing about me, if it's going to cause you that much pain?"

"I don't follow."

"God, are you really this stupid?" Nikki crossed her arms, and she sat down onto the bed, leaning forward so she was just inches away from his face. "You're in love with Beckett. Up until now, I was a good replacement for her. You couldn't have her, so you created me in her image while there was a chance, however small, that you'd be together one day. And now that she's walked out of your life, I'm all you have left of her. So every single time you look at me, you're going to be wishing that I were her, and it's going to drive you out of your pretty little mind."

Rick frowned as he thought her words over. There was such a finality about them, and it was beginning to sink in for the first time. Kate didn't want him in her life. He might not ever see her again. Good God, was this really the end of everything? He was going to lose her and there was nothing he could do about it. "So that's it then." He sighed, slumping back against the pillows. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to fight off some of the pain that was seeping into his entire body. "That's the end of Nikki Heat."

Nikki smiled lightly and caressed his face, the same way that Kate had in his dream. "Good boy." She said, and kissed the top of his head.


	8. Chapter 8

The restaurant had been chosen: a little Italian place a few blocks away from the precinct, and the drinks and dinner had already arrived, but Lanie Parish and Javier Esposito did nothing but sit there, either glancing at everything in the room _but _their dinner partner, or staring down at the plates of food which neither of them bothered to touch. It had been this way all evening, from the cab ride over until now. After Beckett's explanation earlier that day as to why Castle wasn't coming back to the precinct, the both of them were just too rattled and too busy thinking about the situation to really talk. That is, until a simultaneous "I'm sorry" was shared between them.

Javier shook his head sadly. "Maybe it just isn't the right time. I wanted to come out with you more than anything, I still do, but it's just too much. You know?"

She nodded in reply. "I know. But we'll try again." She smiled, still not meeting his eyes, absently playing with the food on her plate.

"What is it?"

"I don't know. I just think it's a real shame that we have to push everything aside for Rick and Kate. They're idiots, the both of them, and their making a huge mistake. But I don't think we should have to suffer for whatever they're doing."

"I feel the same way, but it is sort of hard, isn't it? Do you think she'll let him back in?"

"I don't know. I hope so." Lanie sighed, finally looking up at him after a few moments. There was hurt in her eyes, and a little worry, but the two black orbs were still as kind as ever. She then reached across the table and took his hand in hers. "Let's try something. Let's not talk about them. We can find conversation somewhere else."

Esposito nodded, but he didn't speak. Something in what she said really hit him. Would they really be able to talk about something other than Castle and Beckett or the goings-on at the precinct? When he looked back on all the one-on-one conversations they'd had, that's the only thing that really came up besides making a date and deciding what they were going to do on that date. However, he'd give it a try for her. He wanted to make this work. She deserved it, and so did he. "How was your day?"

Lanie raised an eyebrow, laughing some. "Really? That's your idea of a conversation starter?"

"Well, I…"

"No, no. That is not going to work for me." She thought for a moment, sitting back in her chair. Then, after a minute or so, she leaned forward. "Let's get to know each other. I get to ask you a question, and you have to answer, no matter how bizarre. Then you get a turn."

"So, truth or dare. But without the dare?"

"Exactly." The medical examiner grinned, taking another minute to think as he gave a nod of approval. "Okay. We'll start out easy. What do you do when you go home after a long day at the precinct?"

Esposito laughed. "Easy. I sleep."

She rolled her eyes. "Really? That's it?"

He thought for a second. "No. I eat and then I sleep." He grinned as he received another roll of the eyes. "Same question."

"That depends on the day. Sometimes I go out to eat with a friend, have a drink, see a movie. It's rare that I'm home before one or two."

"I can easily see that. You never did strike me as a stay at home sort of girl."

"I'm glad." Lanie gave a short laugh. "When you work with dead people all day, you have to have some sort of action at night."

Esposito nodded in understanding. "It makes perfect sense. Next question?"

"Do you get a lot of action?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know… action."

"Oh! No. No, I don't."

Lanie sat back and stared at him, almost in disbelief. "Really? A handsome, tough, bad boy like you? You don't get action?"

"Please, even if I were a handsome bad boy, I wouldn't have any time for action. Like I said before, all I do when I get home from the precinct is sleep."

"Huh. I guess that does make sense."

Javier raised an eyebrow. "And you?"

"No, not really. But for me it's just because I'm waiting. Sex is nice, but I don't just like sex. I like meaningful sex."

"So, outside of your exciting, playgirl image, you're really just a romantic, hoping for the right person to come along. I like that. Have there been any good possibilities?"

"One when I was in high school. And maybe one more, but it's a little early yet." She smiled. "Wasn't it my turn to ask a question?"

"Oh. Yeah . Sorry."

Lanie smiled, never missing a beat. "Same question."

"Same answer."


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: This chapter is up a bit earlier than it should be, but I just got really excited so I couldn't help it. I suppose that isn't a bad thing for anyone though, since everyone gets to read about what's been going on with Castle and Beckett a bit sooner than expected. As always, I love all of you who have been reading along, and I appreciate all of your reviews. Please, please keep letting me know what you think. Much love! ~Pepper**

Alexis sat in the hospital's waiting room, every now and then receiving glances from the nurses and doctors who happened to pass her by. She probably looked like a patient herself, with her horribly worried expression, unusually pale complexsion, and shaking hands. Her father had gotten worse in the past few days, and she couldn't stand to see him like that. He was depressed over the possibility of losing Beckett, and he kept swearing up and down that he was never going to write another word so long as he lived. That was probably what hurt the most, since everyone who loved him knew how passionate Rick Castle was about his projects. He lived everyday with that passion, letting it fuel his soul and give him life. If he didn't have that, what was left?

Alexis didn't even look up from the blue-green carpet with its ugly, flowery design when Owen came into the room, a brown paper bag in his hand. And when he sat down beside her, she still kept her eyes to the floor. She just didn't have the engery to pay him any attention. "I went down to the cafeteria and picked up a few things," he said, taking out some plastic food containers and setting them on the coffee table in front of them. There was a cheesburger with all the fixings, a salad, some chicken fingers and french fries, a cupcake, and a rather large soda. "I know you said you didn't want anything, but I noticed you haven't really been eating much at school lately. I was kind of worried."

Finally, she nodded, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "Thanks, that was really sweet of you." Then, Alexis heaved a sigh, turning toward him. "And I'm really sorry for dragging you here. I just could really use a friend right now, and Paige and Lacy... well, it's just not the same for some reason. They've never seen me like this, and I really don't want them to."

"I understand." Owen smiled. He didn't know much about her friends, but he did know that they were a very happy, excitable bunch, the kind of people that you never want to see down. Like Richard Castle. Alexis didn't want to push her problems onto them, to place her worries on their shoulders. He knew how that felt. Sometimes you just didn't feel like sharing, though he had to admit that it did feel nice to be the one she chose to talk to. "But I want you to know that I'm here, no matter what. I know we've had troubles in the past, but I care about you, and I want to do anything that'll make you feel better. Even if all you need is to talk."

"I don't really want to talk, but I appreciate the offer." Alexis tried to smile, but in this current situation, she found herself unable to do that. "How about a distraction?" She gave him a questioning glance as she reached for one of the containers and grabbed a few french fries. He smiled at this and replied with a nod.

"Sure. Anything. What should we talk about?"

"I don't know exactly. I just don't want to talk about my dad, or even see him really. I know that sounds horrible."

"Not at all. If I were in your place, I wouldn't want to see him either. But come on now, you said you wanted to get off this subject." Owen looked around, tapping his chin, searching for something that might spark a conversation. Just then, someone came into the room with a teddy bear the size of a horse. He could hear the name "Castle" being mentioned and he smiled. "More presents?"

Alexis actually laughed when she saw it, though it was quiet. "You have no idea. Grams and I have been taking boxes of things home with us everyday. His adoring fans have sent him so much junk, you'd think we were moving out if you came over."

The two laughed for a little while, and then they fell into silence. Alexis munched on a few more fries and eventually started in on the chicken fingers, much to Owen's liking. She really did have him worried for a while. "Um, Alexis?" He had waiting until she was finished eating to ask her the question that was burning in his mind.

"Yeah, Owen?"

"When all of this is cleared up, do you think I could come over sometime? I would really like to just forget everything and be friends again."

"Actually, I think I'd like that."

With that, she leaned over the chair and pulled him close for a tight hug. "Thanks for everything.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I'm SO sorry it took this long for an update. A lot of stuff has been happening here and I just needed to take a break. However, I'm back on track with my writing and I promise that all my updates will be regular from here on in. And while I have your attention, there's something else I need you to know as well. These next few chapters won't follow the same pattern I've been writing in. I just have too many things I want to accomplish with Rick and Kate before I continue on, so you all may get a double, or even a triple dose of them. **

**As always, I love you all, and please keep the reviews coming. ~Pepper.**

"You can stop glancing at the door every time someone walks by. It's not her." Nikki Heat was still in the room, curled up on a chair, in the blanket that some fan had made for Rick, munching on some chocolates. She had a stack of get well cards lying on the nightstand beside her. "Oh look, from your biggest fan! You'd think they'd be more creative than that. You've gotten at least fifty that say that."

Rick shrugged and stared in the opposite direction. He couldn't take looking at Nikki for one more second. Every time he did, he was just reminded of Beckett and everything else he lost because of her. After just the first week of shadowing her at the precinct, he couldn't imagine not seeing her every day. And now not only would he not see her, but he'd never get to talk to her, never get a chance to be with her. There would be no more cracking jokes with Ryan and Esposito, no impressing the talented medical examiner with his knowledge of dead people. He could just go on and on in his mind, making lists of all the things he was going to miss, and it was all thanks to both Kate and Nikki.

"You sure you don't want anything? You have all sorts of goodies here. It's a good thing your family keeps taking things home, or this room would be overflowing." She grinned, making her way over to him, plopping down right next to him on the bed. "Chocolate?"

"Why are you still here?" Rick's tone was sharp, and he still refused to look at her. "Go away."

She shrugged. "You're still hallucinating. My counterpart did such a number on you that your brilliant, beautiful mind decided to create me to help you deal with it." Nikki laughed and reached up to kiss his forehead.

"That's funny, because you're doing a lot more hurting than helping."

"This has nothing to do with me. I'm a part of you, now aren't I? I'm so nasty because you're really just torturing yourself."

"You can say that again."

Nikki gave a frustrated sigh, muttering something unintelligible under her breath. Then, she reached up and gave him a nice whack to the head. "You idiot."

"Hey!" Rick finally turned to look at her, sending her a glare that would have left her tumbling to the floor if looks could kill. "What was that for?"

"I was trying to knock some sense into you. Did it work?" Her answer came in the form of the same, angry glare. She sighed again. "If you want to stop torturing yourself, why not get something done instead of sitting here and wallowing in your misery?

"You mean…?"

"Call her."

"Are you crazy? I can't call her! She's already given the final word, and if I know one thing about Kate, it's that she won't change her mind. She's too stubborn. It's one of the things I love about her."

"For the love of God, will you listen to yourself? Getting all lovey dovey… it makes me sick." Nikki Heat then got up on her knees, taking his face in her hands. She looked him straight in the eye, hoping that the words she was about to say would finally get him thinking straight. "You love her, Rick. You can't just sit here and let her walk out of your life. Whatever happens between you two, whatever obstacles you have to face, it doesn't matter. You need to go after her."

"Nikki, I can't."

She shook her head. "No. I'm not accepting that as an answer. You get on the phone and you call her, tell her to get over here."

Rick sighed, nodding his head. Then he reached for the phone, hesitating for just a moment once he had it in his hand. "Is this all some trick to get me writing Nikki Heat again?"

"If you stop writing about me, I'll cease to exist. And so will Jameson Rook."

"I knew it." He rolled his eyes and dialed Kate Beckett's number, which he had committed to memory the moment she gave it to him.


	11. Chapter 11

Kate Beckett was stumped. She stood in the precinct, cup of coffee in hand, staring up at the murder board. The timeline was there, as was the picture of the victim and also those of the suspects, but there was also a significant amount of blank, white space. She couldn't remember the last time this had happened: her, standing alone, with absolutely nothing coming to mind. That is, nothing except the one person she didn't want to think about. Since the night she saw him in the hospital, the night she told him that it was over, Richard Castle wouldn't leave her alone. Even the smallest thing, like the espresso machine or passing Remy's as she walked down the street, sent her mind reeling in his direction. It was driving her insane, and she was finding that she couldn't focus on anything. She was disappointing herself and undoubtedly the rest of her team.

"Beckett, I need you in my office." It was Captain Roy Montgomery's voice that pulled her out of her thoughts, and she welcomed the interruption. It was better than staring off into space with nothing to show for it.

She gave a nod, then set her coffee down and followed him. "Right away, Sir. What is it you need to see me for?"

The man sighed, having a seat in his chair and gesturing for her to sit down as well. "Beckett, you're not yourself. Everyone sees it, and frankly, it's interfering with your work."

"Sir, I-"

He shook his head, putting up a hand to silence her. "You're going through a hard time. I can see that. So I want you to take a few days off, figure this out, and come back with fresh, new eyes."

Kate immediately started to protest. At the precinct, she at least had something to do, a case to work on. If only she could get one good lead she'd be able to pull her focus in and have something on her mind other than Castle. She knew that was better for her than just sitting at home and doing nothing. She was never good at that. "Sir, I just started working this case. Once Ryan, Esposito, and I get a good, solid lead, I'm sure I can pick it up. Really, I'm just-"

Montgomery shook his head again. "I'm sorry, Detective. I can't risk missing something or anyone getting hurt."

Kate nodded, heaving a small sigh. She got up from her chair and walked slowly back to her desk, feeling a thousand times worse than she already had been. The Captain's words in there had really hit her, and it was hard and square in the chest. "I can't risk missing something or anyone getting hurt." It was just a nice way of saying "I can't risk _you_ missing something or anyone getting hurt _because of you."_ And someone had already gotten hurt because of her. He was probably still sitting in his hospital bed right now.

Grabbing her things, Kate headed outside without even so much as a nod in Ryan's or Esposito's direction. After that conversation with Montgomery, she wanted to think things over. It was possible that she'd been wrong about this whole situation. Castle had been working with her for quite some time now, and there were only a handful of occasions when he'd been in any real danger. And she could imagine that he'd be in some amount of danger even if he wasn't following her around on the job. She'd heard horror stories, even had cases where adoring fans became a little too adoring. Then there was the fact that they were living in New York City, which was dangerous in itself…

She shook her head, beginning to wonder what Rick was doing at that very moment. She imagined the same hospital room, now filled with flowers and balloons instead of being white and gloomy. He was probably getting a kick out of all of it too, grinning from ear to ear in his usual way as he read dozens of get well cards and polished off several boxes of chocolate. Either that, or was just as miserable as she was. Now that she thought about it, wasn't she doing the same thing to him as the captain was doing to her? Leaving him alone, with nothing to do and nothing to keep his mind off things? Maybe asking him to leave wasn't the best of ideas.

The silence of the car was then cut by the sharp ringing of Kate's cell phone, and for the second time that day, she welcomed the interruption. Placing it to her hear, she answered with her usual greeting. "Beckett."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: At last, Rick and Kate make some progress. I hope you like this chapter, and even if you don't, I'd like to hear your thoughts. Err, read them. And as I said before, the usual chapter pattern will start up again soon. I love you all so much! ~ Pepper.**

Kate nearly tripped as she entered the hospital room, due to an enormous vase of flowers that was sitting on the ground by her feet, but she managed to catch herself at the last minute. She looked around the place. It didn't look at all as it did that night, and that fact alone put her a little at ease about the situation. Since she received his call and agreed to come to down to see him, she had been dreading this visit with Rick. He didn't say it outright, but she knew the reason he wanted to see her. Sometime he was going to ask if he could come back to shadow her at the precinct, and she still didn't know how she felt about that. On one hand, she really did miss him and she would probably get more work done with him around, just as the captain had said. But on the other, there was always the possibility of him getting hurt and her being helpless to stop it. This was turning out to be one of the biggest internal struggles she'd had to sort out in her entire life.

"Hey, sorry about that." Rick was in the room's small, adjoining bathroom when Kate came in, but he returned in time to see her trip. "This stuff's been piling up ever since I got here. I don't know what I'm going to do with it all." He took a seat on his bed and patted an empty space on the end of it, gesturning for her to come and sit by him. Oddly, there was no worry or distress on his face, nor any sign that he'd been miserable at all that day. It was as though just seeing her took away all his pain and bad thoughts.

"It's all right." Kate sat cross-legged on the end of the bed, facing Rick. "At least your fans are taking care of you."

"I wish they wouldn't take care of me so well. This is only a few day's worth of stuff. Mother and Alexis have been clearing it out everytime they come to visit, but the fans just keep sending me more." He sorted through a pile of cards on his bedside table and eventually handed her one. On the inside was a picture of a thin, leggy blonde wearing a sexy nurse's outfit. The words, which were big, curly, and looked as though a teenager wrote them, read "I'll get you well again, Ricky!" followed by a winking smiley face.

Kate tried, but found she couldn't hold back a laugh as she gave the card back to him. "Talk about love." This was nice, the talking. It was friendly, not stressed, not rushed, and there was no groping for things to talk about. "Did you get any more creepy presents?"

He shrugged. "Not really. Someone thought it would be funny to send me gummy body parts, but other than that it's mostly been flowers, candy, and stuffed animals." He narrowed his eyes, as if he was deep in thought. Then he went back to his beside table and pulled out another present, handing it to Kate. "This one is for you."

"Me?" She gave him a confused look, but opened the tiny box anyway. Inside was a little novelty voodoo doll with a needle through its heart. A little note attatched to it read "For Kate Beckett." Kate smiled to herself, showing it to him. "Looks like someone's jealous."

"I'm sure half the women in New York are jealous of you, Kate."

"Yeah, even though nothing's going on between us."

Silence fell over the room. Kate bit down on her bottom lip. She honestly didn't know why she'd said that. There _was _something going on between them. It may have taken her a while to realize it, but after what happened at the precinct earlier, the realization that she had feelings for Richard Castle hit her hard, like a big yellow taxi. She shook her head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have... I'm sorry."

"Kate, it's fine." Rick assured her flatly, though he knew that he wa sonly speaking empty words, trying to get her to feel better. What she said had actually rattled him. For a while he had started thinking that maybe she was opening up to him, that there was a chance of them getting together someday. Now all his hopes were gone.

"No, it isn't." Kate replied. "I don't know why I said that. I didn't mean it. It's just all that's happened lately, it's getting to me."

"About that..."

She sighed, putting a hand up to silence him. She knew what was coming, and she didn't really want to hear him ask it. "I don't know, Castle."

He stared at her, the hurt returning to his eyes. "Kate..."

"I always knew there was a possibility of this happening. I just didn't think it ever would. But now, seeing you like this... I just know that if you come back to the precinct, I'm always going to worry that something will hapen."

"I can understand that, but there's something else you need to understand." He took a deep breath, thinking about how to talk to her. It was now or never. If he couldn't convince her to let him back, she'd never even consider it again. "I need you, Kate."

"I know. It's been going around that you're going to stop writing Nikki Heat, and I think you're making a big mistake..."

"This isn't about the books, Kate." He shifted his position, leaning forward so he could talk to her more closely. "I mean I need you. Just you. Working with you for so long made me realize that I really love being around you, and I couldn't imagine having that taken away from me. These last few days have been hell. I don't know how I'll survive the rest of my life."

"That's all the more reason for you to stop shadowing me. We can always see each other outside of the precinct, and then neither of us will have to worry."

Rick shook his head, his face falling even more than he thought it was possible. "It's not the same."

He was right. Kate knew he was, but the idea of something worse happening bothered her to no end, even if it really should be his choice what kind of danger he was put in. She sighed at that thought and stood for the door, gathering her things. "What if... I think about it. We'll both think about it, and then we'll figure out where to go from there."

"Okay. That's better than nothing." At least there was a possibility there. It may not have been what he wanted, but it was a start. "Oh, and Kate?" He got up from the bed, going to her as she started for the door. "If you're not too busy, will you come over tomorrow? The doctor said I could go home after today. Even if you haven't made a decision, I'd still like to see you."

Kate nodded, even managing to smile. "Sure, Castle. I'll see you tomorrow."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Once again, life has prevented me from updating on a regular basis. Sigh. Anyway, here's some Lanie/Esposito, and some new drama. I hope you like the chapter. I love you all, and please keep me posted with the reviews. ~ Pepper.**

Lanie glanced at the clock on her bedrom wall and her eyes widened when she realized that she had only about five minutes to get out of her apartment, _if_ she was going to make it to work on time. This very same thing had been happening a lot lately: she'd get up early, go through her shower, hair, make up, clothes, and general beautifying routine, and then realize that she was going to be late. However, she wasn't at all puzzeled as to the reason why. She knew why. It was that she was spending more and more time focusing on how she looked, on the off chance that she'd run into a certain detective. She almost hated to admit to something so girly, but it was true. It made her feel good to put forth the extra effort, even if the object of her affection didn't much care about how she looked.

And that certain detective, Javier Esposito, was still on her mind when she finally hopped in her car, started up the radio, and headed to the morgue. He was honestly one of the best things that had happened to her recently, and things were going incredibly well with them. They weren't moving too fast or too slow, there was never any stress between them, no struggles when it came to finding things to talk about, and most importantly, she simply felt content to be around him. He made her feel comfortable, like she could just be herself. And really, when your job centered around picking apart dead people, sometimes you needed a chance to enjoy yourself. When he was around, that was easy.

Lanie smiled to herself as the light up ahead of her turned red, giving her the chance to flip open her cell, which had gone off a few seconds before. She didn't even have to look at the name to know who it was, and she probably could have guessed what the message contained. Esposito had a habit of sending her good morning texts, wishing her well and letting her know that he was thinking of her. It was sweet of him, but she felt bad that she rarely got the chance to send him a reply. She couldn't very well text while she was driving, and she got absolutely no service in the morgue. She glanced up at the traffic light to make sure it was still red, and then she carefully read the message, her smile disappearing almost immediately.

"Back in town for the week. Can we talk? -Jude."

Jude Hollis was Lanie's most recent ex-boyfriend. However, that label didn't really do the nature of their relationship any justice. When they were together, long before she before she'd met Espositio, she honestly had thought that they were going to get married, move in together, and have their three children. And for a while, it had been headed in that direction. But that was before she found out what kind of a man he was, and that she was not the only love in his life.

The medical examiner sighed heavily, and against all better judgement, she sent a reply.

"Sure. Meet in the usual place at seven?"

Before she could get a reply, the truck behind her blasted his horn, making her jump and urging her forward. She high-tailed it the morgue, hoping for the first time since they started seeing each other that Javier wouldn't show up to say hello. She had no idea how she could explain this to him, that she was going to see her ex later that day. However, she knew she had to do it. When they broke up, Jude just up and left. No phone calls, no emails, nothing. She needed the closure, and to know why everything happened the way it did. Plus, it wouldn't be fair to Esposito if she was still clinging onto the memory of him. She believed that when you were with someone, you were all for them. There was no in between.

"""""""""""""""""""

Esposito was sitting on an empty examination table when she finally got to the morgue, two cups of steaming hot coffee sitting beside him. She jumped as soon as she saw him, letting a little gasp escape her lips before she smiled and walked over to him. "What are you doing here?" This was probably the worst thing that he could have done, showing up here, but she still couldn't resist the urge to give him a little kiss.

"Well, I was supposed to come here to get the report on the tox screen." He said, hopping down off the table and handing her some coffee. It was from her favorite little place, right down the street from her apartment. She would have gotten some herself if she hadn't been running late that morning. "But I just couldn't pass up the chance to tell you to have a wonderful day. You know, in person."

"Well, I appreciate it." She kissed him again before taking a sip of her coffee. It was just the way she liked it: two creams, two sugars. Nice and sweet. "You're way too nice to me."

He shrugged. "I have to be. I'm just guessing here, but it doesn't look like these guys are exactly perfect gentlemen." He laughed as he looked around and gestured to her current company. "And speaking of, would you allow me the chance to show off my charm this evening? At seven, maybe?"

Lanie bit down on her lip, already feeling terrible about what she was going to say. "I can't. I'm so sorry." She sighed, then waited for the disappointment to show on his face. "An old friend of mine is town, and he asked me if we could meet up." Well, it wasn't exactly a lie...

"Hey, that's okay." Esposito smiled at her, and she looked at him in confusion. "Really. I don't expect your life to revolve around me." He sighed as he looked at his watch, a frown coming on to his face. "I have to go."

"All right." Lanie smiled to herself. God, could he be any more perfect? She gave him another little kiss and waved him off as he left the morgue, completely forgetting that she was supposed to give him her test results. "I'll see you later."


	14. Chapter 14

There came a knock on the door and Rick stood, only to be pushed back onto the couch by a pair of hands. "Hey!" He shot a playful glare at his daugher, who crossed her arms in response to him. "I may be injured, but I'm capable of walking and opening a door."

"It's not Detective Beckett." She replied, smiling as he gave her a questioning glance, wondering exactly how she knew exactly what he was thinking. He wasn't folling anyone. He'd asked her to come over, and he'd been waiting patiently by the door all day. Alexis almost felt bad for him. Kate never did give him a time frame, so it could be hours before she actually showed up. "I asked Owen to come over for a little while, if that's okay with you."

"Yeah, fine." He nodded, but couldn't help but look a little confused. "I thought you two were done?"

"Oh, we are. At least, we're through in a romantic sense. It's just that he really helped me through this thing with you, made me feel better. I just wanted to thank him."

"That's really sweet of you, honey." He pulled her down onto the couch beside him, ignoring a second knock on the door. "But I wish you would have talked to me. I had no idea there was something on your mind."

"I didn't want to worry you." Alexis turned to him. "It's just that I've never had to deal with something like this before. I never imagined you getting hurt, and it scared me. I hated seeing you in the hospital like that."

Rick pulled her into a tight hug, smoothing her hair. He hadn't realized until then how much of an impact these past few days had really made on everyone around him. At first he thought that Kate was overreacing, but hearing that Alexis had the same fears and feelings gave him a new perspective on things. "You don't have to be worried about me." He said after a moment. "How often do these things happen? There's almost no chance of me getting hurt again. I'm too pretty."

Alexis rolled her eyes, pulling away from him. "Yeah, yeah. But what about the almost? There's _almost_ no chance of you getting hurt again."

"I'll be careful." He nodded. "I have to take it easy for a while anyway, doctor's orders. I'm only allowed to help on cases and interrogate suspects, no bad guys for me. Not for a while."

"That makes me feel a lot better, actually. And I'm sure Detective Beckett will love this news as well."

"If she lets me come back."

Alexis frowned. Working with Kate meant the world to her dad, whether or not she realized it. She made him incredibly happy, happier than he ever was with Gina, or even her mother, as horrible as it sounded. She'd hate to see that taken away from him. "Do you think she will let you back? She is coming over today, isn't she?" There was a third knock on the door.

"Honestly, I don't know if she even made a decision yet. I don't expect her to, especially not after just one day. All I can really do is hope, I guess."

"I hope everything works out, dad. I really do."

Rick smiled and pulled her into another hug. "It doesn't bother you, does it? The idea of Beckett and I together?"

Alexis pulled away from him and gave him a look. "Really? You really have to ask? I've been pulling for you two for the longest time."

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, maybe that wasn't the most intelligent question ever. Now, go get the door before Owen leaves."

Alexis nodded and got up, headed for the door. She opened it and found that whoever was there must have gotten tired of waiting and just left. She poked her head outside and looked down the hall, seeing a familiar figure headed in the opposite direction. "Wait!" She yelled, and Kate Beckett turned around. "Dad's been waiting for you. We were just talking is all." She smiled, but she still couldn't hide her disappointment. Owen was supposed to be there at eleven. By now it was fifteen minutes past eleven.

"I see. I figured it was just a bad time. Should I come back later?" She turned to go.

"No!" Alexis gently took a hold of sleeve and turned her back in the direction of the door. "Just go ahead in. I'm going to take a walk."

As Kate entered the apartment, Alexis sighed, just hovering by the door. She really had thought that she and Owen could just forget everything that had happened between them and start over. She wanted them to be friends, and, she had to admit, there was a part of her that wanted them to be more than friends. But it just couldn't happen. Why was it that he could be so sweet and caring when something bad happened to her, but he was never around when she just wanted to be near him? Alexis ran a hand through her hair and started down the hall. Maybe she'd ask him in person.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: I think I'm finally feeling up to writing the rest of this story. :) I can't promise that my updates will come as often as they have in the past, but I'm surely going to try. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and I'm sorry about the horribly long wait. Let me know what you think. ~Pepper.**

As she strolled hand in hand with Chet down a central park road, Martha didn't think there could be any place in the world for her other than New York. The still, calming green of the park mixed with the bustling noise of the city created a sort of heaven for her, a feeling that could only be caused by a small number of things. One was seeing the happiness in her son's and granddaughter's eyes, one was performing, and yet another was being on the arm of someone she loved. And she loved Chet with all of her heart. It took her a while to realize it, but now she was more sure than ever, and he needed to know. That's why there was a horrible, nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach, and she just couldn't seem to get rid of it.

"You're far away." Chet frowned as he gently stopped Martha from taking another step on the path and set her down onto a bench. His brown eyes gazed lovingly into hers as he removed a piece of hair from her eyes and took her hand. "Where are you?"

"I was just thinking." Martha sighed. She and Chet had only been seeing each other for a few months. It may not have seemed like much to some people, but they both knew how precious time could be, and they both wanted to enjoy every second of their time together. They loved each other. They loved each other, and they were becoming extremely serious about their relationship. So much, in fact, that Chet had recently asked her to move into his loft and she was seriously considering taking him up on the offer. The only thing that stopped her from agreeing and running home to pack her bags was this new offer that had just come up. Martha was caught between two of her dearest loves, and she was in a situation where compromise was impossible. A choice was going to have to be made, and it needed to be made quickly.

"Is this about Richard again?" Chet knew that she'd been awfully concerned about her son this past week. He really hoped that she wasn't still stuck on the issue, worrying herself sick when she really didn't need to be. "He'll be all right, Martha. You said yourself that things are looking up for him."

"No, it's not about that." She shook her head, turning a bit more on the bench so she could focus all of her attention on him. He seemed to grow more handsome everytime she looked at him. Sure, his once thick, chestnut brown hair was beginning to gray, and there were lines of age around his eyes and his mouth, but he still had that upright, dignified air about him that he always carried. Even when they were still two silly kids in high school, dancing under the bleachers and stealing kisses behind the scenes of her school play. "Something's come up. I haven't told Richard or Alexis yet, because nothing's confirmed, but it's something that I have to think about."

Chet stiffened almost immediately. There was something about the way Martha said that that he didn't like, and those lines in his face seemed to grow deeper as concern spread throughout his body. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

She smiled. It was cute, how worried he got. "I'm fine, don't worry." She nodded to him, confirming that everything was all right, and he seemed to relax a little. "It's about what you asked me, about moving in. The play's been doing extremely well, and there's talk of taking it on the road. I've been offered, well, the pay's really something, and I could use that after my ex husband walked off with everything. I need to give them an answer before the end of the month."

"Oh." Chet sighed, going silent as he thought everything over. He wanted Martha to come and stay with him more than anything. Having her so near all the time would make them that much closer, and if there was one thing he loved, it was having her to hold. But he also knew that he couldn't think of just himself. She had needs and wants just the same as his, and he needed to think of her too. He gently put a hand at the back of her neck and drew her close, giving her a soft, sweet kiss. "There's nothing I want more than to have you with me." Chet stared into Martha's eyes, and there was a moment of pure contentment between them. No matter what happened from then on, they knew they'd both be happy. "But if what you want is to go on the road, you should do it."

"Chet-"

"Shh." He kissed her again, then held her close. "We'll still have each other. We'll talk everyday. It won't be easy, but we'll get through. Now what you have to do is talk to your family, and see what they say. It'll all work out, I promise."

Martha suddenly felt as though all the weight she'd been carrying around was lifted. With Chet's approval, everything was clear. When Richard was feeling better, and when she had some time to think it over, she'd appraoch her son and her granddaughter and see what they thought about the situation. Everything was going to be fine.

"I love you."

Chet smiled, running a hand lightly across Martha's cheek.

"I love you too."


	16. Chapter 16

"I didn't expect you to be here so early." Rick smiled as he and Kate seated themselves on his couch. "I figured you'd be at the precinct all day, mulling over this case. You are usually the last one to go."

She shrugged. "I wasn't getting anywhere. I couldn't focus because I kept thinking about the way I left things at the hospital the other day." Try as she might, Kate couldn't bring herself to admit to him that Montgomery had taken her off the case. She wasn't there so early in the day on her own free will. If she had her way, she'd be at the precinct now, trying to make sense of the words on the murder board. However, she did figure that the captain was probably right. At least, she did when she really got down to thinking about it. If she was dealing with all of these problems of her own, there was no way she'd be able to focus on the case. She wouldn't be any use to the detectives, the victim, or the victim's families. She sighed. "It was wrong of me to try and force you off the case. It's your choice, not mine. And anyway, it wasn't as though you had broken some agreement between us and made me so angry that I never wanted to see you again."

"Yeah, right." Rick smiled, though he couldn't help but remember the time when he dug up the details of her mother's murder. That day he was sure that she was going to end their partnership, and it scared him to death. He wouldn't have blamed her if she did end things between them, as he had crossed the one line she begged him not to cross. But even then he couldn't imagine not being on Beckett's case. Their time together was more precious than she probably realized, and with that in mind, he reached over and took her hand. "Kate, I'll understand if you don't want me to come back. I won't be happy about it. Not one bit. But I will understand why you're doing it."

Kate smiled and leaned toward him. "Castle, I want you to come back."

"Really?" Just from hearing those six words, he was grinning from ear to ear. He felt a wave of relief course throughout his body, and he also felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. She really said it. He was coming back. It was going to business as usual from there on out. The only problem was that he wanted more than just business as usual, especially after being just inches form losing Kate for good.

She nodded. "I did some thinking after I left the hospital. I realized exactly how much you mean to me. You make my job so much easier to bear, and you've helped me through so much, whether you know it or not. I don't want things to go back to the way they were before you came into my life. It would be like losing half of myself."

"I tried to tell you that before. We're like the perfect dream team. Castle and Beckett: She's Armed. He's Dangerous."

"You'll be in danger if you say that one more time."

"Why? It's catchy, don't you think?"

"Only television crime fighting duos have taglines like that. These are real murders, Castle. They don't always end with the sexy detective and her devastatingly handsome companion saving the day."

"You think I'm devastatingly handsome?"

"It was a metaphor."

"Admit it, Becks. You totally think I'm dreamy."

"Becks? Ugh, I've only ever been called that in high school. It took my four years to get rid of that nickname."

"Number one, I think it's cute. Number two, you're deflecting. Now say it. Say I'm handsome."

"You're handsome, but only because I want this to stop."

Rick grinned for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "I'm glad you said that, Kate, because I agree with you on the sexy part."

"Sexy...?"

"Yes. You called yourself a sexy detective, and I agree with you."

Kate could feel the sudden heat on cheeks, and she immediately put up two hands to cover her face in embarrassment. "Oh God, did I really say that?" That was one horribly slip of the tongue, but with it came the same feeling she'd gotten when they talked in the hospital. It was free and easy, with no straining to keep the conversation up. It was perfectly natural. So natural, in fact, that she didn't even mind it when Castle took her wrist and gently removed her hands.

"Don't do that. You're cute when you blush. You're cute when you do a lot of things."

"I can feel this going in a very bad direction..."

Kate bit her lip, but Castle ignored her. He saw the opportunity and he was going to take it.

"Like when you sip your coffee, or when you play with the marker cap while you look up at the murder board..."

"You're going to tell me everything you like about me..."

"When you interrogate a suspect, and suddenly everything in the room is under your control. It's like the whole world operates because of you."

"And suddenly I'll feel all warm and fuzzy inside."

"Your strength. Sometimes I think that you're the strongest person I've ever met. I used to think that nothing could ever rattle you."

Kate said nothing this time. Rather, she just sat and listened to what Rick was saying, knowing perfectly well where the conversation was going. And, of course, how it was going to end.

"But then I saw what got under your skin, what made you get all worked up. And I wanted to hold you."

"And then?"

Once she was in his arms, there was moment when all of time seemed to stand still. Kate Beckett couldn't think of a single time when she was happier than this, and she didn't care to try and recall one. For now she was content with it being just her and Rick, and when he pressed his lips to hers, it was as though all of the world melted away. Nothing else mattered.


End file.
